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1929. l. s. DEMENT 1,725,978

REGISTERING DEVICE Original Filed n- 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TWO FEETINVENTOFP. g /$AAC 5. DEMENT A TTORNE Y Aug. 27, 1929'. l. s. DEMENTREGISTERING DEVICE dyrisinal Filed 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENT0l-?.ISAAC 5. DEMENT A TTOP/VE).

Patented Aug. 27, 1929. UNETED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

ISAAC S, DEMENT, OF-DAY'ION OHIO.

REGISTERING msvren Application filed January 2, 1924, SeIial'No.683,374. Renewed November 18, 1925.

This invention relates to registering de- 4: .is a rear elevationof thehundreds and vices and more particularly to an index for thousandsindicating member with their asmeters and the like. One objectionablefeasociated-devices;.iF i,g.i5, is a top plan view ture common to manyif not all registering of the apparatus, omittingnthe controlling. 60

5 indexes as heretofore produced has'been the device; Fig. 6;is a.view,,similar to Fig. 2, fact that due to the slow movement of theshowing the parts in their initial positions; indicating members thesucceeding numeral Fig. is asectional view taken on the line will bemoved into line or partially into line 7 7f.of Fig. 5,. showing the geartrain in with the sight opening before the preceding elevatiori; Fig. ,8is a plan .View f e d 65 10 numeral has cleared the sight opening. As aeating. members and their cooperating deresult the parts of two numeralswill, at Vices, showing the controlling device theretimes, appear in theopening and ifa read-- for; and Fig.9 is a detail view of the twoing istaken at this time it is difficult and way drivingmechanism; I

sometimes impossible to get a correct .read- In thes drawings I haveillustrated one 7 ing. If the openings are madelarge enough i ent of myinvention and have to expose both numerals it is dilficult to deshownthesame'as applied to an indexcomtermine which one represents thecorrect prising a Se s. of dials-havingthe ind catregistration. ingnum'erals on their fiat faces, but it.vvill One object of the presentinvention .is to be understood that the apparatusmay take nrovide adirect readingindex in which a Various forms and that. it may beappliedto single numeral will be fully exposed at the registering devices ofvarious-kinds without sight opening in all positions of the-indicat-fdepalting from the spiritof the invention.

ing member. i -.In;that form here. .shown theflapparatus A furtherobject of the invention is to Comprises amaiuframe consisting of a front25 provide an index of this character in which plate'il,',.reajri plate2 'andlan: intermediate one numeral of each indicating member will plate;3, thesevera p a bei g ected be fully exposed until the indicatingmember one to the othenby'ftie' rods --Mounted be has completed theregistration of another tweeuthegframamembers I'and B-areja series unit,that is, has moved a distance equal to of-indlcating members or dials5,6, Tand 8, the space between two numerals, and then thesedialsf-beinggpreferably,imounted 'on. the first mentioned numeral willbe concealed shafts Y 9 0u s frame. membelfi and the succeeding numeralexposed. h dial is provided .on-it's face With the A further object ofthe invention is to numerals 0' to 9 inclusive. The dial 5 is, providesuch an index in whiclrthe succeed in the present; device,v adapted toregister ingnumeral will be concealed and the pre hundreds, the dial '6thousands, the dial 7 ceding numeral exposed on the several indi tens ofthousands, and the'dial 8 hundreds eating members simultaneously. a i ofthousands. ,The dial oflowest denomina- A further object of theinvention 18 to tion, the hundreds in the-present instance, provide aregistering device in which the may be driven in any suitable mannerfrom 5 counter will he moved in a forward direction the meter mechanismor other source of by the rotation of the driving member in power. Inthdpreserit device,I have joureither direction. thus causing thecorrect, naled in the rear plate 2 and the intermediate registration tohe made even though the plate, 3 of the main frame a shaft 10 adaptedmeter be reversed. to be connected'with meter mechanism and,

A further object of the invention is to in the prersent instance,-havingits rear end provide such a device which will be simple squared, asshown at 11, to receive a conin its construction, positive in itsoperation necting member. The driving shaft 10 1s and which can beproduced at a low cost. rotatable in either direction but in order toOther objects of the invention will appear prevent the reverse operatlonof the register- 5 50 as the device is described in detail. mg device,should the meter be reversed, I

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a have provided drivingconnections between front elevation of a registering device emthe shaftand the initial counter of the regbodying my invention: Fig. 2 is afront 916- isteringdevice of such a character that the vation of themechanism of such a device counter will be rotated in a forward direc-119 with the front plate removed; Fig. 3'is a tio by the rot tion f th hft in e th r section l'trlien (m the line 3 3 at Fig. 2; Fig.dirfltififfi. Te this end two ciuiofis er gears prises aninterinediateigear to reverse the direction of its movement. In thepresent form of the device I have rigidly secured to the driving shaft,between the 'two frame members, a clutch member. 12 having on the twosides thereof .clutch 'teeth 13 and 14, respectively, these. clutchteeth being here shown as ratchet teeth andlthe teeth on the two sidesof'the clutchffaci ng inopposite directions. Rotatably and slidablymounted. on 'theshaft 1O onoppositesides of the clutch member 12 aretwbgears, .and 16,

1 each .having on it s in r'ier .face clutch teeth, 17. and '18, adaptedto engage corresponding clutch teeth on the elutcHme nber 12. Thesegears are pressed toward the clutchiiiember by springs 23. The gear 15meshes with a pinion 19 rigidly secured to a shaft mounted in said framemembers, while the gear 18 .mes hes .w ith 'an idle ,gear 21 which inturn mesheswith' a ,pinion'22 rigidly se cured to the shaft20,.so as torotate in unisonwith the pinion 19. It be noted that if the shaft 10 isrotated in one direction the clutch member 12 .will pick up and rotatethe gear 15 and movement will be imparted directly therefrom to thepinion 19. :During this movement the gear 16. willyield andthe teeth ofthe clutch will ride over the teeth of that gear, thereby permitting thegear. 16 to be rotated in a reversedirection by the action of the pinion22 and.gear 21. If the shaft is rotated in .the opposite direction theclutch member will pick up the gear 16 and movement will be. transmittedtherefrom through the gear 21 and inion 22 to the pinion 19, the gear 15being rotated in a reverse direction. In this manner the gear 19 isrotated in the same direction regardless of the direction in which theshaft 10 is rotated, thereby. making .it imposible to operate theregistering devices in a vreverse direction. The pinion 19 meshes with agear 2% which is connected through a suitable train of gearing with agear 25 rigidly secured to the shaft 9 which carries the hun dredsindicator dial 5 and the ratio of the gearing is such as to cause thedesired movement to be imparted to the indicator dial from the shaft10., In the present construction the shaft- 10 makes one complete.rotation for each two. feetof gas and inasmuch as the hundreds dial 5registers in units of tance between two numerals, for each fiftyrotations of the shaft 10. As here shown, the shaft 10 is provided witha pointer 26 "which travels over a stationary dial 27a on the frontplate 1. The count may be transferred from one indicating member to theother in any suitable manner. In the present instance, I have employedGeneva gearingfor this purpose as this requires that the dial to whichthe transfer is made shall move only during the time the transfer isbeing made. To this end I have secured to the shaft'9 of the hundredsindicator dial 5 a one toothed gear 27 having a concentric peripheralportion and so arranged thatits single tooth will mesh with a mutilatedgear 28 securedto the dial 6, which gear is provided with. ten sets oftwo teeth each, as indicated'at29, the sets ofteeth being spaced apartso that when the single tooth of the gear 27 is not in mesh with a setof teeth 29 the concentric portion of thegear 27 will lie in the spacebetween two sets of teeth and will lock the gear 28 against movement.Connected with the gear ,28 and therefore with the thousands indicatordial is a second one toothed gear30 which meshes with a mutilated gear31 connected with the tens of thousands indicator dial 7, and a onetoothed gear .32 connected with the gear 31 actuates asimilar mutilatedgear, 33 connected with the hundreds of thousands indicator dial 8. Thistransfer mechanism being of a well known type it is not necessary tofurther describe the same .but it will be apparent that each sucessiveindicator dial will be advanced one stepfor each complete rotation ofthe preceding indicator dial.

Inconnection with each of the indicating members or dials I haveprovided means for exposing to View .only that numeral on the dialwhichrepresents the actual rcgistration on the dial and for maintainingthe same fully exposed so long as it does represent that registration,and for then quickly concealing that numeral and exposing to View thesucceeding numeral, which then represents the actual registration. Inthe present form of the device the front plate 1 is provided with aseries of sight openings 34:, one for each dial, and these sightopenings are ofsuch a size and so arranged that two numerals on eachdial may be brought simultaneously into alinement therewith. Associatedwith the dial and preferably arranged between the same and the sightopening in the front wall of the casing is a shield 35 having therein asight opening with which the several numerals on the dial will bebrought successively into alinement and which is of such a size that itwill expose to view but a single numeral. This shield is so actuatedthat it will be advanced with the will be, in line with the sightopening 34in the front wall of the casing, but only the first mentionednumeral will' belexposed to view. As the dial reaches this position, in

which an additional unit is added to the registration, the shield isshifted to move the sight opening 36 into line with the succeedingumeral, thereby concealing the first mentioned numeral. The shield andthe means for controlling the same may take various forms but, ashereshown, the shield is substantiallysector shaped and is rotatably mountedon the shaft 9 which carries the dial. The dial and the shield have'cooperating parts adapted toconnect the shield with the dial as itadvances from one position to the other and is of such a character thatthe shield may be disconnected from the dial and permitted to move in areverse direction independently thereof. Prefera- "bly the dial hasassociated therewith a plurality of projections or teeth 37 which, inthe present instance, are mounted directly upon the' dial itself andspaced about the periphery thereof, there being one of these projectionsfor each numeral on the dial.

The shield has a lug 38 extending from'the rear face thereof andarranged to be engaged successively by 'the'teeth'on-the dial, thuscausing the shield "to be advanced with the dial'so long as one of theseteeth is in en gagement with the lug 38. The lug may be disengagedfrom'the tooth on the dial in'any suitable manner but, as here shown,the shield is moved bodily to cause the lug 38 to v be moved out of thepath of the tooth on the dial and to this end the bearing opening in theshield is elongated, as shown at 39, and is so arranged that when theshield is in its lowermost position it will have a pivotal movement onthe shaft 9, but the shield may be lifted relatively to the shaft todisengage the cooperating parts of the shield and the dial. WVhen theparts have thus been disengaged the-shield moves automatically in areverse direction to its initial position, as shown in Fig.6, itsmovement being limited by a stop 40. The reverse movement may beimparted to the dial in various ways, preferably by a spring or bygravity, and'with that form of dial here showrr I have relied same fromthe dial but this means is preferably of such a character that themovement of the shield will be automatically imparted thereto by theforward movement of the dial. A plurality'of indicating members or dialsare employed and it is desirable that the actuatingf'means forreleasing'the several shieldswill be so controlled as to' cause theseveral shields to be releasedsimu'lt-ancouslyf It,dueto lostinotion orbark lash in the gear train, the shield for a'sub sequent dial shouldnot bereleased 'until' after the shields for thepreceding dials had'been released and a'reading should .be taken during the intervalbetweenthe release of th'e' shields this reading wouldbe inaccu rate. I havetherefore provided means'controlled the indicating member of lowestdenomination for causing the'several shields to ber'eleased'simultaneously. :To this end I have' m'o unte'd inthe casing,and prefe;- ably on th'e intermediate frame member 3, a controllingmember, here shown in the' form 1 of an'elongated plate orbar 41pivotally mounted at its rear edge'on'the frame member 3 :1nd having onits forward edge a pluralit of fingers42, these fingers being arrangedadjacent to theperipheries of the respective shields. -;Each shield isprovided near its pcriphery'with a rearwardly'extending lug 43 whichis-s'o arranged with relat-ion to the-adjacent finger 42-0nthe"'controlling member that when this member is in 7 the shield and lift thelatter a distance sufiicient to disengage the lug 38 thereon from thetooth 37 on the dial, thereby releasing the shield and permitting thesame to move rearwardly. 'The fingers on the controlling member arepreferably inclined so that the lug on the'shield will move out ofengagement therewith without binding when the: shield has been released.held against reverse movement until the lug 38 has been moved out ofengagement with the tooth on the dial the inclined arrangementiof thecontrolling finger will not inter-. fcre with the lifting of the shield.In the present form of the device the lifting movement is impartedto-the controlling member 41 by means of a lever 44 pivotally mounted ona stud 45 carried by the intermediate frame member 3 and having one endconnected with the controlling member in such a manner as to operate thesame. As here shown the end of the lever is rounded, as shown at 46, andhas free contact with the lower surface of the controlling plate 41, the

The shield being :trolling plate.

:offingers or teeth 50, the forward surfaces of which are, inclined, soas to successively engage the projection 48 onthe lever 44 with a camaction. As here=shown the actuating member hasE the appearance ot aratchet wheel, each tooth of which successively engagesatheidog orprojection 48 on the lever The-arrangementof :the teeth on the actuatingdevice is such that as the dial a-CIWLDCES thenveightedend of the leverwill be ele- .vated, thereby permitting the controlling plate to, moveinto its lowermost position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, andwhen the dialhas completed one step of forward movement, that is,- whena succeeding numeral has-been brought into indicating position, thetooth will clear the projection or dog 48 andpermit the weighted end ofthe lever to move downwardly thus causing the other end of the lever'toelevate the con- During that portion of the movement of the dial betweenthe lowering of the controlling plate and the elevation thereof the lug43 of the shield for the hundreds dial will be moved into a positionabove the corresponding finger 42 on the ;movement will also be movedinto positions above the corresponding fingers on the controllingplateand consequently when the plategisactuated the shieldsfor all of thedials which are in proper position will be simultaneously released. Theshields for such dials as have not completed the proper movement willnot be connected with the controlling plate and will not be affected bythe movement thereof. Any lost motion or back lash in the gear trainwhich might resuit in a subsequent dial completing the nec essarymovement a trifle later than this movement is completed by the precedingdials will not effect the simultaneous operation of the shields becausethe width of the lugs 38 on the shields and of the fingers 42 on thecontrolling plate is such that they will remain in line one with theother during a considerable movement of the respective dials and by aproper arrangement of the lugs upon the several shields the properalinement of these lugs with the controlling fingers will be madecertain. v

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from theforegoing descriptiou thereof and it will be apparent that I haveprovided a direct reading index of such a character that only onenumeralof each indicating member can be'exposed at one time and that thisnumeral will always correctly indicate the actual registration on theindicating member; and that the mechanism is of such a character thatthe exposed numeral on the several indicating members will alwayscorrectly represent the registration on the index as a whole. It.Willfurther be apparent that .the mechanism isvery simple in itsconstruction and operation and is of such a character thatit can bep-roduced at a relatively low cost.

\Vhile I have shown andv described one embodimentof my invention Iwishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to thedetails thereof as various modificathins may appear to a person skilledin the ar 1.

Having now, fully. describedmy invention, what I claim as .newand desire.tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a registering.device, an indicating member having a plurality ofnumerals, a shield movably mounted in front of said indicating member,rotatable-about the axis thereof andhaving an-opening adapted to exposea single numeral, va. separable.con-- nection between said shieldv and.said indicating member to cause said shield to move with the dial duringa predetermined portion of its movement, and means todisconnect saidshield from said indicating member-to permit the shield to move in areverse direction. v l

2. In a registering device, an indicating member having a pluralityofnumerals, a shield movably mounted in front of said indicating memberandhaving an opening adapted to expose. a single numeral, said shieldand said indicating member having cooperating parts to cause said shleldto move with said indicating member during a portion of its movement,and means to impart bodily movement to said shield tosepa rate saidcooperating parts and permit said shield to move rearwardly.

3. In a registering device, an indicating member having a plurality: ofnumerals; a shield movably mounted in front .of said indicating memberand having an/opening adapted to expose a single numeral, said shieldand saidindicating member having cooperating parts to cause said shieldto move with said, indicating member during a portion of its movement,and means controlled by the movement of said indicating member formoving said shield relatively to said indicating member and therebydisconnecting the shield from the indicating member to permit the shieldto be shifted to aline its, opening with another numeral.

.4, In a registering device, an indicating member having a plurality-.ofnumerals, a

l shield arranged :ini front :of said indicatin member'and movable aboutthe axis thereo said indicating member. :having a plurality ofprojections spacedgabout the same, and

' shield -out;ofpengagement with the projection; on said indicatingmember to "permit said shield to move In ;a reverse :direct on.

; 5.-In,a registeringldev'ice, an indicating hmember h'a'vinga pluralityof-numerals, ashield arranged; in; front of said. indicatin member and;movable about the axis .thereo said indicating member, having aplurality of proyieitipngsp'aeed about the'same,{-said shield Iing-mounted .fonbodily movement relative: to-saidindicating member andhavi a: g d partedap o b ov into and out ofapositionto be, -engaged byone of the projections on, said indicating meml .ber, andmeans forimparting bodily movementtoisai d shield-to move said part Out/1,016

engagement with; said ,proj ection. 6. .In,.a;'registering' device, arotatable dial having apluralityof numeralson the face thereof,and.haying :a'series of projeci tions arranged. the periphery thereof,

1a shield ,inoiinte d in' frontroi. $a 1 ,dia l for i v determinedportions of theirmovcment.

5 movement about the axis the f 'aiidfhaving .v ,n i 'lv an open-mgadapted to .,expose a, singl H ndicating members each having a series ofnumerals, a separate shield mOUIItGd'lII front;

numeral on said dial,aflpartcarried said g j'shield and a r nged; to beengage by one "of said projeotionson 's'aiddialto cause said shildtO'mo've' with said"dial,an d means for moving said-part out of the pathof said projection to permit said shield to be moved in a reversedirection.

7. In a registering device, a shaft, a dial mounted on said shaft andhaving a plurality of numerals arranged? on the face thereof, and alsohaving a series of projections spaced about the periphery thereof, ashield mounted on said shaft in front of said dial for movement aboutthe axis of said shaft and for movement transversely to said shaft, aart carried by said shield and adapted to e engaged by one of theprojections on said dial -to cause said shield to move with said dial,and means for moving said shield transversely to said shaft to move saidpart out of the path of said projection.

8. In a registering device, a plurality of indicating members eachhaving a plurality of numerals, a separate shield mounted in front ofeach of said indicating members and having an opening adapted to exposea single number on said indicating member, means for causing saidshields to move with the respective indicating members during apredetermined portion of the movement thereof, and means for causing theshields of all of said indicating members which have completed saidpredetermined move ment to be simultaneouslymoved in a reversedirection.

9. In a registering device, a plurality of indicating members eachhaving a plurality of numerals, a separate shield mounted in front ofeach of said indicating members and having an opening adapted to exposea single number on said indicating member, means for causing saidshields to move with the respective indicating members during apredetermined portion of the movement thereof, controlling means commonto the several shields to release the same for reverse movement, andmeans controlled by one of-said indicating memebers for actuating saidcontrolling device.

10. In a registering device, a plurality of indicating members eachhaving a series of numerals, a separate shield mounted in front ,of eachof said indicating members and havan opening adapted to expose a singlenumeral on said indicating member, means for connecting said shieldswith the respective indicating members to cause the shields to; movewith the indicating members during a predeterminedportion of theirmovements, and means controlled by one of said indicating members tosimultaneously disconnect the shields from all of saidindicatingmembers-which have completed said pre- 11. In a registeringdevice, a plurality of of each of said indicating members and hav-Iingan opening adapted toexpose a single numeral on said indicatingmember, means for connecting said shields with the respective indicatingmembers to cause the shields to move with the indicatingmeiiibers-during predetermined portions of their movements, acontrolling device common to all of said shields and having means fordisconnecting the same from the respective indicating members, and meansunder the control of one of said indicating members to actuate saidcontrolling device.

12. In a registering device, a plurality of indicating members eachhaving a series of numerals, a separate shield for each indicatingmember having an opening adapted to expose a single numeral on saidindicating member, each shield being mounted for bodily movement withrelation to its indicating member, each shield and its indicating memberhaving cooperating parts to cause said shield to move with saidindicating member during a portion of its movement, a controlling membercommon to the several shields, means for connecting each shield withsaid controlling member when said shield has completed said portion ofits movement, and means controlled by one of said indicating members tocause said controlling member to simultaneously actuapredetermined"movement, andme'ans con- [trolled by one of imiddials'toinipal't' llp- 1 ward movementto 'said controlling member.

ate the shields connected therewith to disconnect the same from therespective indicating members.

13. In a registering device, a plural ty of indicating dials each havinga'series ofnumerals on the face thereof, a separate-shield mounted formovement aboutz'the axis of each dial and having an opening to expose asingle numeral on said dial, said shieldalso being'movable transverselyto the-axis of said dial,-each dial-having a plurality-of projectionsarranged; vabout the I periphery thereof, ea'ch shield having=a-partadapted to be moved into 'and'out of= line with-one -of said projectionsby the transverse movement of said shield-,-=a controlling member havinga projection-" arrlanged ad acent to each shield, each'shield having-alug adapted -to '-be moved into a position .above the corresponding 1 Iprojection {on said controlling 'member' when theshield and *the dialwith which it is connected have co'mpleted l liIn a registering device,-a plurality of indicating dials eachl having'a series of num'er'a ls onthe face thereof; a' separate shield *mounted for movement i'ab'oiit thej axis of eachidial aridhaving* an opening to expose a sin le numeralbi)saidi diahi'said shield also bein movable transversely to the axis ofsaid dial', each" 'dial' liaving -a plurality. of

' projections "arranged" about 'tlie 'periphery thereof, each shieldPha'vi'ng a part adapted to be -inove'd i'nto hiiil-"oiit ofilinewith'one of said projectionsby e ..tr ans'versemove- 'ment of; said jshield,:a V iit rolli ng i n'rjnber having -a projection arranged j adjacent to each shield, each"shield having ail ng adapt- 7 .ed to bemovedinto "a above thecorresponding projection on" said controlling memberwhen :rthe :shield and the .dial with which it is connectedhave-completed a predetermined m0vement,.=a lever having one endarranged to impart upward movement to said controlling member, and apart connected with one of said dials tocontrol the .movement of saidlever.

15. In a registering device,- a plurality of indicating dials eachhaving a series of numerals ton the jface thereof, a separate shieldmountedfor movement about the axis 'r'ofeach dial and having an openingto expose 'a' -single numeral on said dial, said l ishield alsobeingmovable transverselyto the axis of'said'dial,each d-i'al'having apluralarranged to engage .s aid controlling member 'to impart"upwardinov'ement "thereto, and .'an actuating "device connected withone of said dials and having ,means for lifting 'the weighted-end ofsaid lever and releasing the same 'at the end of each: step of movementTof said' dial. Q I I "In testimonyffwhereof, I aflix my signaturehereto. Y i

iSAAQ S. DEMENT.

one'end weight d 'andhaving its other end

